Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Simple solution: Don't ride bike paths at night. Even a tightly focused beam with a cut off is inappropriate for most bike path situations. The standard width for bike paths is around 11 feet (about the width of a road lane). There is less than 6 feet between you and any on-coming traffic if you are riding down the middle of the path. That's too close for even the narrowest of beams.
Maybe simple, but around here, not very safe. Alternatives are very busy roads or highways. Just aim your lights down so the brightest light is less than 10 feet in front of you, and the spillage is enough to see fine. Half of my commute is against the flow, and I never get complaints from oncoming riders. The other half is with the flow, so I aim a little higher, and adjust down and to the side when the occasional rider comes along. Winding areas where a bike might appear suddenly, keep them aimed low all the time.